Bike reservation unsuccessful

DanTrain · 25 May 2019

Hi,

I’ve got a slightly complicated situation that I’m not quite sure how to resolve. So I’ve used Train splitter to book tickets from Dore & Totley to Wareham at the beginning of July. I need to take a bike so I then went round no fewer than 4 companies to check their policies and made 4 reservations.

However, the bike spaces on the Winchester - Stockport leg of the return are apparently taken. What should I do now!? It’s an advance ticket connecting at both ends so there’s not a lotbof scope for getting another train. There is a non-reservable space but of course I’ve no idea whether that’ll be taken or not and I don’t much fancy getting stuck in Winchester (nice as I’m sure it is)!

Thanks,

Dan

RailUK Forums

221129 · 25 May 2019

DanTrain said:
Hi,

I’ve got a slightly complicated situation that I’m not quite sure how to resolve. So I’ve used Train splitter to book tickets from Dore & Totley to Wareham at the beginning of July. I need to take a bike so I then went round no fewer than 4 companies to check their policies and made 4 reservations.

However, the bike spaces on the Winchester - Stockport leg of the return are apparently taken. What should I do now!? It’s an advance ticket connecting at both ends so there’s not a lotbof scope for getting another train. There is a non-reservable space but of course I’ve no idea whether that’ll be taken or not and I don’t much fancy getting stuck in Winchester (nice as I’m sure it is)!

Thanks,

Dan

Not sure what advice you're looking to receive? If there aren't any reservable bike spaces left then short of chancing it on the day or amending your tickets to a different train with availability then there isn't anything else you can really do...

SickyNicky · 25 May 2019

If there are no spaces available on your selected train, you are free to catch the next train with availability (even though you have a timed advance ticket).

National Rail Enquiries said:

If you are travelling with a bike and have purchased an Advance ticket for a train on which bikes are permitted but bike reservations are not possible, and there is no room for the bike on the booked train for the Advance ticket, then you can travel on the next train with the same ticket on which there is a bike space available.

Click to expand...

For more information, see https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx

Edit: Sorry - I misread your post - if you have an advance ticket for a train on which bike reservations are possible, but the train is full. That's a bit more of a problem. You may indeed have to modify your advance to a train that does have availability.

DanTrain · 25 May 2019

I guess I’m more wondering how this system is supposed to work. You book a ticket, then you book a bike and then you hope there’s space. You could book a bike before you book a ticket, but then the system would end up with hundreds of unused reservations, making the problem even worse. It seems like a no-win situation designed to be as hard as possible to use!

Mag_seven · 25 May 2019

It can't be beyond the wit of man for the booking system to show cycle space availablity without having to buy a ticket surely?

erk · 25 May 2019

DanTrain said:
I guess I’m more wondering how this system is supposed to work.

I think the way it's supposed to work is that you book a ticket and bike reservation at the same time and in the same transaction. This is possible at stations and on some web sites.

Paul Kelly · 25 May 2019

Mag_seven said:
It can't be beyond the wit of man for the booking system to show cycle space availablity without having to buy a ticket surely?

It's something I've been meaning to research a bit more for a while but I have a sneaking suspicion that it's not possible for booking engines to check the availability of bike spaces without actually trying to reserve a bike space, as in it is technically possible, but something is not connected up somewhere and the NRS (reservations system) always returns zero availability. But I am not sure on this...

cactustwirly · 25 May 2019

DanTrain said:
I guess I’m more wondering how this system is supposed to work. You book a ticket, then you book a bike and then you hope there’s space. You could book a bike before you book a ticket, but then the system would end up with hundreds of unused reservations, making the problem even worse. It seems like a no-win situation designed to be as hard as possible to use!

Ngl what do you expect on a 4 car 220 on such a busy service.
Btw you might want to travel via Sheffield instead of Stockport as these services tend to be a bit quieter

pdeaves · 25 May 2019

No chance of getting hold of a folding cycle on time for your journey? They count as hand luggage.

DanTrain · 25 May 2019

cactustwirly said:
Ngl what do you expect on a 4 car 220 on such a busy service.
Btw you might want to travel via Sheffield instead of Stockport as these services tend to be a bit quieter

I think I assumed it wasn’t much of a problem, that’s what XCs website suggested. It is on a Sunday, for better or for worse. Also via Sheffield means an extra change in Birmingham as it’s a Sunday which I didn’t fancy.

pdeaves said:
No chance of getting hold of a folding cycle on time for your journey? They count as hand luggage.

Not really I’m afraid!

erk said:
I think the way it's supposed to work is that you book a ticket and bike reservation at the same time and in the same transaction. This is possible at stations and on some web sites.

XC suggest that on their website that you phone them up. Trouble is it’s cheaper for me to entirely rebook the return leg on train splitter and add that to the cost than to book direct through XC. I do try to avoid XC but sometimes they’re the lesser of two evils, I don’t fancy cyling St Pancras - Waterloo at all!

Mag_seven said:
It can't be beyond the wit of man for the booking system to show cycle space availablity without having to buy a ticket surely?

Frankly I don’t know why you can’t just do all through National Rail enquiries, with tickets, railcards, bikes etc as well as more logical fares where splitting isn’t beneficial, but there we go :rolleyes:

.

Thanks for the help all!

AM9 · 25 May 2019

DanTrain said:
... XC suggest that on their website that you phone them up. Trouble is it’s cheaper for me to entirely rebook the return leg on train splitter and add that to the cost than to book direct through XC. I do try to avoid XC but sometimes they’re the lesser of two evils, I don’t fancy cyling St Pancras - Waterloo at all! ...

Not sure why this cycling comment has been mentioned but if you are travelling outside peak hours, you can take cycles onto Thameslink trains and from the South Bank exit of Blackfriars, it is a short walk/cycle on quiet back streets, see here:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/5...05392,-0.118065,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e1

ashkeba · 25 May 2019

AM9 said:
Not sure why this cycling comment has been mentioned but if you are travelling outside peak hours, you can take cycles onto Thameslink trains and from the South Bank exit of Blackfriars, it is a short walk/cycle on quiet back streets, see here:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/5...05392,-0.118065,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e1

Cycle Superhighway 6 now connects St Pancras and Blackfriars anyway and it's one of the better ones, all either back roads or kerbed lanes.

DanTrain · 26 May 2019

AM9 said:
Not sure why this cycling comment has been mentioned but if you are travelling outside peak hours, you can take cycles onto Thameslink trains and from the South Bank exit of Blackfriars, it is a short walk/cycle on quiet back streets, see here:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/5...05392,-0.118065,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e1

ashkeba said:
Cycle Superhighway 6 now connects St Pancras and Blackfriars anyway and it's one of the better ones, all either back roads or kerbed lanes.

Thanks - worth knowing for the future!

Bike reservation unsuccessful

DanTrain

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221129

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SickyNicky

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DanTrain

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Mag_seven

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erk

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Paul Kelly

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cactustwirly

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pdeaves

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DanTrain

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AM9

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ashkeba

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DanTrain

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